Top 5 Point Guards in OKC Thunder “Sonics“ Franchise’s History

Top 5 Point Guards in OKC Thunder “Sonics“ Franchise’s History

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OKC Thunder

“Sonics“

5. Gus Williams

A vastly underrated player, due to the lack of interest in the NBA throughout the 1970s, Gus Johnson played a key role on the Seattle team that would defeat Washington in the 1979 NBA Finals. Johnson, who ranks 23rd all-time in steals, played with Seattle from 1977 to 1984 and would have his best years come as a member of the Sonics. In 1982, he averaged a career-high 23.4 points to go along with 6.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals per.

Naturally, he’d earn a nod to the All-Star team. He would earn another, his last one, the next year, too. 1982 would be a huge year for Johnson as he would also earn a spot on the All-NBA First team and would finish fifth in MVP voting. Williams has the second-most amount of steals in a single game, taking away ten in a 1978 game with the New Jersey Nets where he also scored 31 points. Johnson was also a member of the All-NBA second team in 1980.

4. Lenny Wilkens

After spending the first eight years of his career with the St. Louis Hawks, Lenny Wilkens would spend the remaining years of his prime with the Seattle Sonics. As a 31-year-old in his first year with the Sonics, Wilkens would average a career-high 22.4 points per game to go along with an impressive 8.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds per. He’d continue to impress in his second season with the Sonics when he led the league in assists with 9.1 per to go along with more consistently impressive numbers in his 17.8 points and five rebounds per. Even that wasn’t enough as Wilkens would go on to average 9.2 assists the next year, before finishing off his short time in Seattle averaging a career-high 9.6 assists per in 1972 as a 34-year-old. Wilkens made it to three All-Star teams as a member of the Sonics. He is one of six Sonics to have their jersey retired by the franchise.

3. Fred Brown

The all-time franchise leader in points, games played, field goals and free throws, Fred Brown is one of the league’s most underrated players after spending all 13 years of his productive career with the Seattle Sonics. Originally drafted as the sixth pick in the 1971 draft, Brown would play 13 seasons as Seattle’s shooting guard, consistently averaging at least 16 points per game from 1974 to 1978. He’d average a career-high 23 points in 1976, topped off by a career playoff-high 45 points in a Game 2 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Fred Brown deserves some more recognition as one of the league’s top scorers of the 1970s. Although Durant will likely take this title within the next few seasons. Brown was also a member of the 1979 championship team, made it onto the 1976 All-Star team and would lead the league in three-point percentage in 1980 after shooting 44 percent. Also, like Gus Williams Brown is also tied for second for the most steals in a single game. He also had an unbelievable 10 steals in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers, with eight alone coming in the first half. He’d finish his Sonics career averaging 14.6 points, 3.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds per.